Chapter 74
Food was made for the hungry pup
“Ms. Lyra. Please make the food as soft as possible.”
“Oh? I was making it in the same way as I always do. Should it be softer?”
“Yes. This fenrir is a pup, after all. And it was terribly wounded when we found it. And though the wounds are healed, its strength has not completely returned yet. So I think that it would be best to feed it something soft.”
“I see. I did hear earlier that it was hurt, so it would indeed be better to make something that is easier to eat. I will do what I can.”
“Thank you.”
After talking to Ms. Lyra about the food for the fenrir, I returned to where Ms. Claire and Leo were sitting.
The fenrir now understood that Leo was not going to attack it.
They were licking at each other’s faces and seemed to be playing.
And then as if she just had an idea, Ms. Claire extended her index finger and put it in front of the fenrir.“Kyau? …Chu-chu.”
“Hehe. It tickles.”
The fenrir had tilted its head at first, but then it began to suck at Ms. Claire’s finger.
…Ms. Claire. That is a fenrir you are dealing with… Aren’t you afraid of it biting you?
Of course, this was my first time seeing one. I had only heard stories about these monsters before.
And they were supposed to attack humans viciously.
And so offering your finger to one was like asking it to tear it off.
I was startled at first, but then saw that the fenrir was just sucking it like a baby that was drinking from a bottle of milk.
Ms. Claire was chuckling at the sensation, and I saw that Sebastian and the three guards all sighed with relief.
…So they were just like me, and had been alarmed by her actions.
But really…this fenrir looked a lot like a baby.
Due to its size, I had assumed that it was a child, though perhaps a few years old. But it was also possible that it hadn’t been long at all since it was born.
It was a fenrir, after all… They were supposed to be small compared to Leo, but if this was their size when newborn, then how big would they be as adults?
I would have to ask Sebastian about their real size and ecology once we returned to the mansion.
It was with such thoughts that I watched the hungry fenrir suck greedily on Ms. Claire’s finger. And then Ms. Lyra announced that the food was ready.
“It’s ready. Now, please take some to it.”
“Wuff.”
Upon hearing her, Leo stood up and then picked up one of the washed wooden plates with her mouth, and walked over to Ms. Lyra.
And then Ms. Lyra poured the food from the pot onto the plate.
However, Leo was not able to carry it now. Ms. Lyra was supporting the plate with her hand and wondering what to do. And so I went over and took the plate from Leo.
“I’ll take it.”
“Ah…of course. Thank you…Mr. Takumi.”
Apparently, it hadn’t occurred to her to ask someone to help Leo.
I chuckled at her carelessness as I held the plate and walked back to the fenrir.
“Wuff-wuff.
“Oh, there is no need to thank me, Good Leo.”
Leo bowed once to Ms. Lyra for making the food, and then she followed after me.
Ah, you were able to say thank you. That’s a good girl.
When I was close to the fenrir, it seemed to recognize the smell of food, and then it began to squirm in Ms. Claire’s arms before jumping out.
“Ah…”
“Wait, wait. Now calm down. It’s still hot. You’ll get burned if you eat it now.”
“Kyau! Kyau!”
But either it didn’t understand what I meant, or it was too hungry to care. And so without calming down at all, it began to run in a circle around my legs.
Ms. Claire looked a little crestfallen now that the fenrir had jumped out of her arms, and so I handed her the plate.
“You feed it, Ms. Claire. But let it cool a little first, as it’s quite hot.”
“…Are you sure that I should do it?”
“While Leo was also there, it was calm the whole time that you were holding it. I think that shows that the fenrir is starting to take to you, Ms. Claire.”
“…You…think so…?”
“Yes, so don’t worry. Here.”
Perhaps Ms. Claire was hesitant because she didn’t have any experience with feeding animals. Still, I handed her the plate with instructions to let the food cool.
All the while, the fenrir began to run impatiently around us.
…It was quite lively, huh…
“Gau!”
“Kyau!”
Leo barked as if to tell the little fenrir to settle down.
Upon hearing this, the fenrir let out a short, fearful yelp, but then sat down quietly.
…Leo could be a strict discipliner.
“Now, Ms. Claire.”
“Yes… Fuu…fuuu…”
Ms. Claire blew on the steaming food in order to cool it. And then she put the plate down in front of the fenrir.
“Kyuu…?”
“Wuff.”
The fenrir must have been very intimidated by the bark earlier, as it now looked towards Leo as if to ask for permission to eat. And then Leo nodded.
The fenrir’s red eyes shone at this, and it pounced on the plate in front of it.
“How very ravenous… I wonder if it’s enough?”
“I don’t know… It wouldn’t be enough for Leo, but this one is still small.”
The fenrir began to eat the food with surprising vigor.
It made us worry that it wasn’t going to be enough.
We could make more… Yes, there should be some orc meat left…
“I’m sorry, Ms. Lyra, but would you mind cooking some more orc meat?”
“No, I don’t mind at all.”
And so I asked Ms. Lyra to cook some more meat, just in case it wasn’t enough.
If the fenrir was full, then Leo would eat any meat that remained.
For a while after, we all watched as the fenrir ate.
Leo looked like she was trying to stop herself from drooling… Don’t think that I didn’t catch that, Leo.